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The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower - Chapter 206

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Chapter 206: The Red Mountains (3)

The only sound echoing through the night air was the pounding of feet racing across the steep red terrain.

At the front of the group was Oscar, leading the other three with focused determination.

It had already been seven hours since they entered the mountain range.

As the three who had been following behind him watched his back, each came to their own conclusions.

‘…The kid can run, huh?’

‘Even after entering this oxygen-thin highland, his breathing is steady and his pace unchanging.’

‘Hmph.’

As their evaluations suggested, Oscar, who had taken on the role of guide, moved without hesitation—

as if he had crossed this mountain range countless times before.

“……”

Suddenly, Oscar slowed his pace and clenched his fist.

It was a hand signal: Stop.

Oran, gathering behind him, asked,

“Hey, little bro, what’s wrong?”

“…I think we’ll need to change our route.”

“What? Why all of a sudden?”

“There’s a monster up ahead.”

At his words, everyone turned their gaze toward the path ahead.

At first glance, it looked no different from the trail they had been following.

But when Oscar summoned a gentle gust of wind, the red leaves scattered, revealing a thick, blood-red root hidden beneath.

Kaya, with a confused look on her face, asked,

“We’re changing course just because of that root?”

“Yes.”

“Whatever it is, can’t we just cut it and move on?”

Seeing Sasha ready to fire off a spell the moment he said yes, Oscar quickly shook his head.

“That’s not something we can just kill like that.”

“…Wow, if it weren’t for our little bro here, we’d all be dead already.”

Only Oran Quill, who recognized what the root was, muttered with cold sweat running down his face.

Kaya looked at him and asked,

“You know what that thing is?”

“Of course. Have you ever heard of the ‘Five Calamities of the Red Mountain Range,’ Senior?”

“Never heard of it.”

“That’s normal. Unless someone’s crossed this range, they wouldn’t know. Just like dragons, this information is tightly controlled by the Imperial Family.”

The Five Calamities of the Red Mountain Range.

The intriguing term perked up the ears of Kaya and Sasha.

Living up to their curiosity, Oran continued his explanation.

“That thing is one of them. Nicknamed the ‘Mountain Eater.’ The Empire classifies it as an A-level threat.”

“…An A-level threat?”

Kaya narrowed her eyes and looked again at the root.

Threat levels assigned by the Empire were almost never given to single monsters.

Even when they were, it was usually no more than E or F level.

“Even the Cadena Flu, which could kill every human on the continent given enough time, is only ranked as B-level.”

Then what would qualify as A-level?

Knowing the answer, Kaya muttered,

“…So that root alone is dangerous enough that the Empire would have to mobilize its full force to stop it?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Sasha was visibly shocked.

She knew better than anyone how serious an A-level threat truly was.

“What is that thing exactly?”

“On the fifth peak of the Red Mountain Range stands a massive tree. Some call it the ‘Red World Tree’ because of its enormous size, but its official name is the Mountain Eater. What you see here is just one of its countless roots.”

“Wait, the fifth peak?”

She tilted her head in confusion.

And for good reason—they were currently climbing the second of the range’s seven peaks: Tetra Peak.

“If it lives on the fifth peak, why is its root here…?”

“I told you. It’s the Mountain Eater.”

Oran shrugged.

“That thing’s roots run through the entire mountain range. From the first peak to the seventh, there’s not a place where its roots haven’t been found.”

“…My god.”

The name wasn’t a metaphor—it was literal.

A monster that made its home on the fifth peak but used the entire range as its personal feeding ground.

It was for this reason it had been classified as a full-blown calamity—a disaster worthy of an A-level threat.

“Honestly, humanity should be thankful every day that it can’t move. If it could, we’d all be dead by now.”

“…What would’ve happened if we accidentally stepped on that root?”

“We’d die. Its roots would erupt from the ground and drag the prey down into the depths.”

The Mountain Eater.

The unfathomable being sent a chill down Sasha’s spine as she let out a nervous laugh.

“…Now I understand why the Red Mountain Range is called the graveyard of Masters.”

“Level 7 is just the minimum requirement to enter this mountain range.”

The Red Mountain Range had claimed the lives of many Masters.

And the most terrifying part—there were still four more calamities like this one.

As the group fell into silence, Oran clapped Oscar on the shoulder.

“Man, we owe you big time, little bro! Honestly, I thought you were just running ahead without thinking, but you checked everything, huh?”

“I’m the guide. It’s my job.”

“True enough. Still, you looked so confident out here, I thought maybe you'd crossed this range a few times before.”

“……”

In truth, he had crossed this range more than a dozen times.

In short, he was the best guide alive.

“We’ll rest here for a bit while I reroute us, then head out again.”

As Oscar sat down to adjust the route, the other three took the chance to rest.

While Oscar worked on the map, they chatted among themselves.

“Oran, do you know anything about the other calamities?”

“Not all of them, but I know two more. I’ve even encountered one myself.”

Oran gulped before continuing.

“One of them is the Noise Swarm—a horde of insects in overwhelming numbers. Once you hear the sound of their wings, there’s supposedly no way to survive.”

“Then how are there records of them?”

“The only way to survive is to split up. They only chase a single target. Of course, if that target dies quickly, they’ll immediately go after another prey.”

Sasha, who absolutely hated bugs, asked cautiously.

“Is that swarm also ranked A in terms of threat level?”

“Thankfully, it’s a B-level threat. Still, you shouldn’t underestimate it. From what I know, thirty-two mages from the Red Tower, including seven Masters, were wiped out by them.”

Fire magic is known to burn bugs effectively.

And yet the Red Tower mages, even the Masters, were defeated?

Sasha shuddered, increasingly disgusted by the thought.

“Out of all the disasters, I definitely don’t want to meet that one…”

“Yeah, but don’t think the others are any easier.”

Recalling an old memory, Oran murmured.

“One of the disasters I encountered was something called the ‘Eye Thief.’ It’s an A-class threat.”

“Eye Thief? Does it steal people’s eyeballs?”

“Haha, no. What it steals is people’s gaze.”

Oran had a knack for telling vivid stories.

Perhaps that’s why the night air suddenly felt a little colder.

“It’s 2.4 meters tall, a very slim humanoid monster. Its magic resistance is absurdly high, and if it gets close, it’ll rip its target apart with razor-sharp claws.”

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“So you just have to keep it from getting close.”

“That’s easy. Just looking at it freezes it in place.”

“Wait, then doesn’t that make it easy to deal with?”

“I was thinking the same,”

Kaya chimed in.

“If that’s all it takes, then one person could keep staring at it while the others kill it, right?”

“If it’s attacked, it goes into a berserk state for about ten seconds. During that time, even if you’re staring at it, it moves like crazy. Its speed also doubles.”

“...So it’s the kind you really shouldn’t provoke.”

“We actually encountered it while returning from the Grey Zone. We had to slowly retreat by walking backward while keeping eye contact. But the moment it left our sight, it would reappear right in front of us, so we had to take turns looking at it. It was agonizing.”

“Does it not leave the mountains?”

“I don’t know if it’s by choice or not, but once we descended from the Red Mountains, it stopped following us.”

Oran’s story about the Eye Thief was intriguing.

After listening quietly, Sasha asked,

“But you all managed to work together and escape, right?”

“Hmm…”

Oran’s expression turned strangely grim at her words.

Wearing a faint smile, he began to speak.

“As I said, we encountered that thing while returning from the mountains. At that point, there were fewer than seven of us left. Five of them died instantly after we met it.”

Two died before figuring out how to deal with it.

Three others died after they did—by blinking both eyes at the same time or dozing off momentarily.

Only two survived.

Kaya, her eyes half-lidded, asked,

“How the hell did you survive in that situation?”

“Haha, well…”

He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look.

“I ran.”

“How?”

“I wrapped the thing head-to-toe in chains and pinned its eyes open so it couldn’t close them. Then I bolted.”

“…”

That party member was probably dead.

Whether from burst blood vessels causing blindness or starvation from being unable to move—

One way or another, death was inevitable.

“Hmph, I see.”

With a strange tone, Kaya nodded and turned her head as if she’d lost interest.

Sasha, meanwhile, found herself unable to trust Oran anymore after hearing him so shamelessly admit he’d betrayed a teammate.

‘If danger strikes, he might sell us out just as easily.’

Criminals in front of her—or behind her—couldn’t be trusted.

She reaffirmed her resolve just as Oscar approached her.

“Route recalculation is complete. Let’s move out again.”

* * *

Two days passed after that without major incidents.

Well, there were a few close calls with imperial or demon patrols,

But thanks to Oscar’s excellent mana detection, they avoided them all safely.

“Brother’s seriously amazing. How does he do that?”

Oran asked, keeping pace right beside the running Oscar.

Oscar shot him a glance that clearly said ‘don’t bother me’ before replying.

“It’s simple. Just spread your mana as thinly and widely as possible, and then sense anything it touches.”

“…Sorry. I’m an idiot for asking.”

What kind of answer was he expecting from a genius who entered the Imperial Academy as top of his class and graduated early?

It was like asking someone how they got good grades and hearing, ‘by studying the textbook.’

Oran shook his head.

“People with talent really are the worst.”

“Effort is more important than talent,” Oscar said, glancing at him.

It was the kind of look that said, ‘You could do it too.’

Oran’s eye twitched slightly at that gaze.

And then came the kicker.

“Of course, if your talent is overwhelming, you don’t need to work as hard.”

“You little—!”

Just as Oran realized he’d been made fun of and shouted, Oscar suddenly came to a halt, his expression hardening.

Oran, confused, muttered awkwardly,

“Huh? I wasn’t that mad. No need to stop like that…”

“I sense other mana nearby.”

At that, Kaya and Sasha also stopped and asked,

“What is it this time? We already passed the imperial outpost area, so is it demons?”

“Don’t tell me it’s another Root of the Mountain-Eater…”

Oscar shook his head at all of their guesses.

Then, wearing an expression of confusion himself, he replied,

“No matter how I look at it… it seems to be human.”

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[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Jun 5, 2025
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Chapter 214
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Chapter 213
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Chapter 212
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Chapter 211
Jun 11, 2025
Chapter 210
Jun 10, 2025
Chapter 209
Jun 9, 2025
Chapter 208
Jun 7, 2025
Chapter 207
Jun 5, 2025
Chapter 206
Jun 2, 2025
Chapter 205
May 31, 2025
Chapter 204
May 30, 2025
Chapter 203
May 28, 2025
Chapter 202
May 26, 2025
Chapter 201
May 25, 2025
Chapter 200
May 24, 2025
Chapter 199
May 21, 2025
Chapter 198
May 20, 2025
Chapter 197
May 19, 2025
Chapter 196
May 18, 2025
Chapter 195
May 17, 2025
Chapter 194
May 16, 2025
Chapter 193
May 15, 2025
Chapter 192
May 14, 2025
Chapter 191
May 13, 2025
Chapter 190
May 12, 2025
Chapter 189
May 10, 2025
Chapter 188
May 8, 2025
Chapter 187
May 6, 2025
Chapter 186
May 5, 2025
Chapter 185
May 4, 2025
Chapter 184
May 3, 2025
Chapter 183
May 2, 2025
Chapter 182
Apr 28, 2025
Chapter 181
Apr 26, 2025
Chapter 180
Apr 23, 2025
Chapter 179
Apr 22, 2025
Chapter 178
Apr 21, 2025
Chapter 177
Apr 20, 2025
Chapter 176
Apr 19, 2025
Chapter 175
Apr 17, 2025
Chapter 174
Apr 16, 2025
Chapter 173
Apr 11, 2025
Chapter 172
Apr 9, 2025
Chapter 171
Apr 3, 2025
Chapter 170
Apr 1, 2025
Chapter 169
Mar 31, 2025
Chapter 168
Mar 30, 2025
Chapter 167
Mar 29, 2025
Chapter 166
Mar 28, 2025
Chapter 165
Mar 27, 2025
Chapter 164
Mar 25, 2025
Chapter 163
Mar 24, 2025
Chapter 162
Mar 23, 2025
Chapter 161
Mar 23, 2025
Chapter 160
Mar 20, 2025
Chapter 159
Mar 19, 2025
Chapter 158
Mar 17, 2025
Chapter 157
Mar 17, 2025
Chapter 156
Mar 16, 2025
Chapter 155
Mar 15, 2025
Chapter 154
Mar 14, 2025
Chapter 153
Mar 13, 2025
Chapter 152
Mar 12, 2025
Chapter 151
Mar 11, 2025
Chapter 150
Mar 10, 2025
Chapter 149
Mar 9, 2025
Chapter 148
Mar 8, 2025
Chapter 147
Mar 5, 2025
Chapter 146
Mar 4, 2025
Chapter 145
Mar 3, 2025
Chapter 144
Mar 2, 2025
Chapter 143
Mar 1, 2025
Chapter 142
Feb 28, 2025
Chapter 141
Feb 27, 2025
Chapter 140
Feb 26, 2025
Chapter 139
Feb 25, 2025
Chapter 138
Feb 24, 2025
Chapter 137
Feb 22, 2025
Chapter 136
Feb 21, 2025
Chapter 135
Feb 20, 2025
Chapter 134
Feb 19, 2025
Chapter 133
Feb 18, 2025
Chapter 132
Feb 17, 2025
Chapter 131
Feb 16, 2025
Chapter 130
Feb 15, 2025
Chapter 129
Feb 14, 2025
Chapter 128
Feb 14, 2025
Chapter 127
Feb 10, 2025
Chapter 126
Feb 9, 2025
Chapter 125
Feb 8, 2025
Chapter 124
Feb 7, 2025
Chapter 123
Feb 6, 2025
Chapter 122
Feb 5, 2025
Chapter 121
Feb 4, 2025
Chapter 120
Feb 3, 2025
Chapter 119
Feb 2, 2025
Chapter 118
Feb 1, 2025
Chapter 117
Jan 30, 2025
Chapter 116
Jan 29, 2025
Chapter 115
Jan 28, 2025
Chapter 114
Jan 27, 2025
Chapter 113
Jan 26, 2025
Chapter 112
Jan 25, 2025
Chapter 111
Jan 24, 2025
Chapter 110
Jan 23, 2025
Chapter 109
Jan 22, 2025
Chapter 108
Jan 22, 2025
Chapter 107
Jan 22, 2025
Chapter 106
Jan 21, 2025
Chapter 105
Jan 20, 2025
Chapter 104
Jan 19, 2025
Chapter 103
Jan 18, 2025
Chapter 102
Jan 17, 2025
Chapter 101
Jan 16, 2025
Chapter 100
Jan 15, 2025
Chapter 99
Jan 15, 2025
Chapter 98
Jan 14, 2025
Chapter 97
Jan 13, 2025
Chapter 96
Jan 13, 2025
Chapter 95
Jan 9, 2025
Chapter 94
Jan 21, 2025
Chapter 93
Jan 7, 2025
Chapter 92
Jan 6, 2025
Chapter 91
Jan 5, 2025
Chapter 90
Jan 4, 2025
Chapter 89
Jan 3, 2025
Chapter 88
Jan 2, 2025
Chapter 87
Jan 1, 2025
Chapter 86
Dec 30, 2024
Chapter 85
Dec 29, 2024
Chapter 84
Dec 28, 2024
Chapter 83
Dec 27, 2024
Chapter 82
Dec 26, 2024
Chapter 81
Dec 26, 2024
Chapter 80
Dec 25, 2024
Chapter 79
Dec 25, 2024
Chapter 78
Dec 23, 2024
Chapter 77
Dec 22, 2024
Chapter 76
Dec 21, 2024
Chapter 75
Dec 20, 2024
Chapter 74
Dec 19, 2024
Chapter 73
Dec 19, 2024
Chapter 72
Dec 18, 2024
Chapter 71
Dec 17, 2024
Chapter 70
Dec 16, 2024
Chapter 69
Dec 15, 2024
Chapter 68
Dec 14, 2024
Chapter 67
Dec 14, 2024
Chapter 66
Dec 13, 2024
Chapter 65
Dec 12, 2024
Chapter 64
Dec 11, 2024
Chapter 63
Dec 10, 2024
Chapter 62
Dec 9, 2024
Chapter 61
Dec 8, 2024
Chapter 60
Dec 7, 2024
Chapter 59
Dec 6, 2024
Chapter 58
Dec 5, 2024
Chapter 57
Dec 5, 2024
Chapter 56
Dec 4, 2024
Chapter 55
Dec 3, 2024
Chapter 54
Dec 2, 2024
Chapter 53
Dec 2, 2024
Chapter 52
Dec 2, 2024
Chapter 51
Dec 2, 2024
Chapter 50
Dec 1, 2024
Chapter 49
Nov 30, 2024
Chapter 48
Nov 29, 2024
Chapter 47
Nov 28, 2024
Chapter 46
Nov 27, 2024
Chapter 45
Nov 26, 2024
Chapter 44
Nov 26, 2024
Chapter 43.5: Illustrations
Nov 26, 2024
Chapter 43
Nov 25, 2024
Chapter 42
Nov 25, 2024
Chapter 41
Nov 24, 2024
Chapter 40
Nov 24, 2024
Chapter 39
Nov 23, 2024
Chapter 38
Nov 23, 2024
Chapter 37
Nov 22, 2024
Chapter 36
Nov 22, 2024
Chapter 35
Nov 21, 2024
Chapter 34
Nov 21, 2024
Chapter 33
Nov 21, 2024
Chapter 32
Nov 20, 2024
Chapter 31
Nov 20, 2024
Chapter 30
Nov 19, 2024
Chapter 29
Nov 19, 2024
Chapter 28
Nov 18, 2024
Chapter 27
Nov 18, 2024
Chapter 26
Nov 17, 2024
Chapter 25
Nov 16, 2024
Chapter 24
Nov 16, 2024
Chapter 23
Nov 15, 2024
Chapter 22
Nov 15, 2024
Chapter 21
Nov 15, 2024
Chapter 20
Nov 14, 2024
Chapter 19
Nov 14, 2024
Chapter 18
Nov 14, 2024
Chapter 17
Nov 14, 2024
Chapter 16
Nov 14, 2024
Chapter 15
Nov 13, 2024
Chapter 14
Nov 13, 2024
Chapter 13
Nov 13, 2024
Chapter 12
Nov 13, 2024
Chapter 11
Nov 13, 2024
Chapter 10
Nov 12, 2024
Chapter 9
Nov 11, 2024
Chapter 8
Nov 11, 2024
Chapter 7
Nov 10, 2024
Chapter 6
Nov 10, 2024
Chapter 5
Nov 9, 2024
Chapter 4
Nov 9, 2024
Chapter 3
Nov 9, 2024
Chapter 2
Nov 9, 2024
Chapter 1: Prologue
Nov 9, 2024